Galeão and Confins: time of rebirth

Founded in January 20, 1977, the international airport of Galeão - Antônio Carlos Jobim is the second of the country in passenger traffic (only below Guarulhos airport). In 2012, it reached a total of approximately 17.5 million passengers.

The airport complex is formed by two runways and one of the largest, modern and well-equipped cargo logistic terminals of the continent. One of the runways is the longest runway for take-off and landing in Brazil, with more than 4000m x 45m.

In spite of its importance in the national system, this airport suffered chronic problems—apparently easy to be solved—during many of the last years. Inoperative moving staircases, crowded parking areas, broken elevators, infiltration in toilets, high prices in bars and restaurants, insufficient quantity of fingers, etc.

Located at just 20 km of Rio de Janeiro downtown, the airport is served by the expressways Linha Vermelha, Linha Amarela and Brasil Avenue, all congested in peak hours, making difficult the access to the airport. The system of urban transport offers taxi and special bus lines that connect the airport to several destinations, including Santos Dumont, the other airport of the city. But the options are insufficient: passengers frequently wait 30 to 40 minutes to get a taxi.

Besides this high demand of passengers, the airport of Galeão has a strong vocation for international cargo transportation, being able to receive the largest existing aircrafts. Currently it occupies the fourth position in transported volume, only below the airports of Guarulhos, Viracopos and Manaus. With the concession, it is expected that it may reach in five years the leadership in the international ranking of cargo transportation.

Among the main works to be carried out by the future private manager of the airport of Galeão—according with the public notice—are the construction of 26 additional fingers and the enlargement of the aircraft yard for more 21 positions until April, 2016. A new parking lot for 1850 vehicles, an independent system of take-off and landing runways and a third runway, 3000 m long are planned until 2021. This commitment, however, may be anticipated in function of passenger demand, before the airport reaches the mark of 262 million of aircraft movements per year.

Currently, the runway located in the southern area of the system (3.180 m x 47 m) is used mainly for landing operations and the runway located in the northern area of the system (4.000 m x 45 m) is used mainly for take-off operations.

R$ 3.5 billion for improvement

The Aero Brasil consortium, formed by the CCR Group (75 percent of participation) and the international airport operators Flughafen München GmbH and Flughafen Zürich AG (with the remaining 25 percent) won the auction of concession for enlargement, maintenance and operation of the Tancredo Neves/Confins International Airport. This is one of the main airports that are operating in the country, with a total of 8275 million passengers transported from January to October, 2013, according to data presented in the operating movement of Infraero network.

With a 30-year deadline, the contract defines the winner as responsible by operating the airport, that currently has a capacity around 10.4 million passengers per year. But the projection of passenger movement in 2043, when the concession ends, is 43 million passengers per year.

The investment estimated by the government is of approximately R$ 3.5 billion in updating and maintenance of the Tancredo Neves/Confins International Airport during the whole period of concession. “We are proud to make official this important event that marks the start of airport operations by CCR in Brazil”, said Renato Vale, president of CCR Group, speaking in name of the Aero Brasil consortium. “Confins airport is of extreme importance for domestic and international air traffic, for the World Cup and for other important events that will be carried out in the country, or even to attend in the best way the growing internal demand that is being consolidated during the last years, offering more practicality and comfort to our users”, finishes him.

CCR has previous experience in this area operating consolidated projects in Costa Rica, Curaçao and Ecuador. Its partners in Confins are the companies Flughafen Zürich AG, responsible by the international airport of Zurich, in Switzerland, and Flughafen München GmbH, that manages the international airport of Munich, in Germany.